Nuclear scientists are tracking threats to humanity that occur in the world. They measure on a special dial as an event brings us closer to death or move away from it. Now the doomsday Clock 2020 closer to the Apocalypse than ever before, because the threat of nuclear war has translated arrows for 20 seconds closer to midnight.
At the moment the clock shows 100 seconds to midnight, that is, until the Apocalypse.
#BREAKING: 2020 Doomsday Clock is now 100 seconds to midnight pic.twitter.com/rYXeEqXj26
— Joel Franco (@OfficialJoelF) January 23, 2020
In a statement, «Bulletin of the atomic scientists» says that humanity is facing «two existential dangers — nuclear war and climate change, which are exacerbated by a variety of threats,<…>, undermining the ability of society to respond adequately to the situation».
In the Bulletin explained: «the Situation of international security is horrible , not only because there are these threats, but also because world leaders are allowed to destroy the political infrastructure.»
Atomic scientists write that the mass protests and public awareness is not enough.
They add: «Given the inaction and counter-productive actions of international leaders, members of the Council for science and security forced to declare a state of emergency, which requires immediate, targeted and sustained attention of the entire community. Now 100 seconds to midnight. The clock is ticking. Immediate action is needed».
The group expressed the hope for humanity and quoted the end of the cold war in the 1990-ies.
They wrote: «the Newsletter said that people can cope with the dangers posed by technology created in turn by the people. Indeed, in the 1990-ies of the leaders in the United States and the Soviet Union have taken bold actions that made nuclear war much less probable. Then, in the result of their actions, the Bulletin moved the minute hand of the doomsday clock on the farthest position from midnight.»
When we were around midnight?
- In 1953, the watch lost 5 minutesbecause at that time the US and Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons.
- In 1963, the watch got these 5 minutes ago, because USA and the Soviet Union signed a Treaty on a partial test ban to limit their testing.
- By 1968, France and China developed nuclear weapons and took hours 5 minutes.
- In the early 1970-ies was returned 5 minutes after signing three treaties in relation to nuclear weapons.
- However, when India tested a nuclear device in 1974, 3 minutes, was taken away.
- In 1981, 6 minutes, lost in the midst of the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Union.
- In 1991 there was signed a few treaties, and the clock got to 14 minutes.
- By 1998, when India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons, and the United States has increased military spending, in total, we selected 8 minutes.
- In 2002 another 2 minutes, was taken away due to September 11.
- In 2007, the 2 minutes was again lost because North Korea conducted a nuclear weapons test, and Iran’s nuclear ambitions were unpredictable.
- In 2017, the first time the timing was less than a minute, as it lost a total of 30 seconds.
If we continue to waste 20 seconds every year, it would mean that the Apocalypse will happen in 2025
Watch the Doomsday Clock announcement 2020 Thursday, January 23, at 10 am EST. https://t.co/kG2fVzK5Wa pic.twitter.com/UEG7sCslFI
— Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (@BulletinAtomic) January 21, 2020
Watch is intended to alert the public about how close we came to complete destruction of the planet.
Rachel Bronson, President and chief Executive officer of the Bulletin, said: «Nuclear and climatic conditions worsen. I would love to turn the clock back, but unfortunately, the situation does not allow it».
The Bulletin of the atomic scientists spent the last six months, discussing this decision with the Board of sponsors of the Bulletin, which includes 13 Nobel laureates.
Watch was designed in 1947 by the authoritative journal «the Bulletin of the atomic scientists».
Its dial indicates the probability of global destruction of mankind.
It is a metaphor for threats to humanity from the uncontrolled advances of science and technology.
The closer the time is to midnight the closer the world is to disaster.
This is not the first case when the group transfers the clock depending on the situation with nuclear weapons. During the existence of the doomsday clock was 23 to move the arrow.
From @Georgetown:
«It’s a pretty exciting moment to make a difference. It’s urgent we get this right, because this trajectory is going in the wrong direction» — @RachelBronson1, President & CEO of @BulletinAtomic #DoomsdayClock https://t.co/G6NRY21f2J pic.twitter.com/fWibutbUGA
— Robert K. Elder (@robertkelder) January 23, 2020
We were not so close to the Apocalypse since the 1980-ies when US President Ronald Reagan, when he observed the escalation of the cold war.
Watch ticked off two minutes to midnight in 1953, when the Soviet Union and the United States almost simultaneously tested a new hydrogen bomb.
The time on the clock has been adjusted during the years when new countries develop nuclear weapons, and when they signed treaties promising not to use it.
Today, nine countries possess nuclear weapons, and not all of them signed the non-proliferation Treaty.
Israel, India and Pakistan are not parties to the Treaty, and North Korea «did not sign» NPT in 2003.
